Training mechanism for firearms



ct. 26, 1948. F. w. REINHOLD ETAL 2,452,147

TRAINING MECHANISM FOR FIREARMS Original Filed May 9, 1945 2She'ets-Sheet 1 inwniars Fmnk WReinholaZ Jofm J Mac'l'e jowski .5zheir/lzzorney Oct. 26, 1948- F. w. RElNHOLD :1- AL 2,452,147

TRAINING MECHANISM FOR- FIfiEARMS Original Filed May 9. 1945 2Sheets-Shet 2 interlocking relation with the other hole.

Secured to the lower end of the support 22 and extending to the leftfrom said support as viewed from the rear of the gun 28 is an arm 48(Figs. 1 and 2) which is usedby thergunner to swing the supportsfi-andaccordingly the gun 20 in azimuth. The upper end of the arm 40 hasbifurcations 42a, 42b (Fig. 2) bored to support rotatably a pin-44having secured to it by a screw 45 a handle 46 which the gunner gripswith his leftha'nd and swings downward to fire the gun through mechanismdescribed in said application:Serial No.. 592,-

864. When the gun is idle, the handle 46 is rigidly secured to the arm40 by a latch 48 which fits in registering slots 50 (Fig. 2), 52 (Figs.1 and 2) formed in the handle and the bifurcation 42a and which hassecured to it a guide pin 54 (Fig. 2) fitting in a recess 55 of thehandle. A spring 58, which is housed in a recess (50 of the handle 43and has extending into it afpin 62 secured to the latch '48,constantly-urges the latch into the slot 52, in

which position the latch prevents the handle from beingswung downward bythe gunner. The handle 46 may thusbe considered as constitutingpart ofthearm 40 so far as the training of'the gun is concerned.

In order to move the gun 20 in elevation, there is provided a lever I28(Figs. 1, 3,4 and 5) secured to one end of a horizontal'shaft I30 whichis rotatably mounted in bosses of. the support 22 and has secured toitsother end an arm -.I3I (Fig. 1)

operatively connected througha link. 832 to an arm I 34 secured to theleft trunnion 28 of the gun; Pivotally mounted upona pin. I36 (Figs. 1,

3 and 4)-fix'ed .tothe lever I23 is a bracket I38 comprising a handleI40 bored to receive a detent I42 .(Figs..4' and 5) provided with a headIM. "The upper end of the lever I 28 hasa forwardly extending'fiangeprovided with three'holes I46 (Figs. 1

and 4) I48 (Figs. 1, 3 and 4), and I50 (Figs. 3 and 5) the lineofcente'rs I52 (Fig. 3) of which is centered about the axis of the pinI36. The detent I42 is constantly urged-to the: left, as viewed in Fig.5, by a springl 54 (Figs. 1, 4 and 5) arranged tendenc during firing tojump about the axis of the trunnions 28, with the result that the gunnerwhen using the handle I40 unconsciously tries to counteract suchmovement and thus tends to overcontrol the gun in elevation. With a viewto steadying the training of the gun on the target when said gun isswung through angles of 30 or less,there is secured to the inner end ofa shaft I 64 (Figs. 1,3 and 4), rotatably mounted in a bore I66 (Fig. 4)of the bracket I38, a pinion I68 (Figs. 3 and 4) which, when the studI58 (Fig. 5) of the detent I42 registers in the hole I50, is in meshingengagement with teeth I10 (Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 5) of an arcuate rack I12which is bolted to the support 22, the teeth of the rack having a pitchline centered at the axis of the shaft I30. To the outer end of theshaft I64 is pinned a crank I" having a handle which the gunner rotateswith his right hand to move the gun in elevation. By providin theabove-mentioned rack I12 and pinion I68, when swinging the gun 20 inelevation through low angles there is less strain on the gunner thanwhen the gunner actuates the gun directly through the bracket handleI40. It will be appreciated that there is little tendency for the gun 20to jump during firing when it is elevated above 30, at which time it isusually firing at fastmoving targets, such as airplanes, and is thenmore rapidly trained in elevation on the target by the useof the brackethandle I40.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a firearm, a support freely rotatable in azimuth, a gun freelyrotatable in elevation upon the support, and means constructed andarranged to enable a gunner to move the gun manually in elevation withrelation to the support, said means comprising a lever, a bracket whichis carried by the lever and is securable in at least two different 1operative positions upon said lever, a rack sein a recess I55 (Figs. 4and 5')of the handle I40 1 and having its outer end in engagement withthe head I44 of the detent. The bracket I33 may be swung upon the pinI36 into positionsin which a stud I58 (Fig. 5) of the detent I42selectively registers in any one oftheholes I46, I48, I50 the detentbeing retained in said holes by the action of the springI54.

When the stud I58 of the detent I 42 registers in either of the holesI46, I l8,*the gunner, grasping the handle I40 with his right hand-andsighting along line I 60(Fig; 1), trains'thegun in elevation on thetarget by moving the handle, and accordingly the lever I228, about theaxis of the shaft I30." In order that the gunner shallnothave to moveout of a comfortable or natural position when he is training the gun onthetarget by the use of the handle I40, the bracket I38 ismovable aboutthe pin I36 to move the stud I58 of thedetent I 42 into register ineither of the holes I46,

I38 upon the lever'I28 may bereadily effected by pressingthehead I44 ofthe detent- I42inward against the action of the sprin I 54 to withdrawthe stud I58 from the'holein which it is held in The gun 2nwhenelevatedless than 30 has .5

Such change-in the position-0f the bracketcured to said support, and apinion and a crank therefor both rotatably mounted in the bracket, saidpinion when the bracket is in one of its operative positions uponthelever being in meshing engagementwith the rack and when the bracketis in another operative position upon the lever being held in aninoperative position away from said rack.

2. In a firearm, a support freely rotatable in azimuth, a gun which isrotatable in azimuth, to-

gether with the support, and in elevation with relation to said support,a lever having two or more openings, mechanism for moving the gun inelevation in response to movement of said lever, a

bracket which is pivotally mounted upon said lever and comprises ahandle, a detent which is associated wit-h the handle and is constructedand interlocking relation and then swinging the arranged to be movedinterchangeably into interlocking engagement With any one of saidopenings to secure the bracket in different operative positions uponsaid lever, a rack secured to said support, and a pinion and a cranktherefor rotatably mounted in the bracket, said pinion when the detentis in interlocking engagement in one of said openings being in meshingengagement with said rack, rotation of the crank with the detent thuspositioned causing movement of the lever relatively' to the support andaccordingly movement-of the gun in elevation.

FRANK We REINHOLD. JOHN J. MACIEJOWSKI.

No references cited.

